The 2025 General Assembly of SATU Presidents' Forum of Southeast and South Asia and Taiwan Universities (SATU Presidents' Forum) held on March 12-13, 2025. The National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) hosted the 2025 General Assembly, uniting the Presidents and representatives from 65 universities across 8 countries. The General Assembly, themed "Sustainable Governance for University" emphasized the vital role of universities in cultivating future leaders and advancing societal development amidst global challenges. Engaging discussions highlighted sustainability, digital transformation, and cultural heritage, reinforcing a collective commitment to innovate and collaborate for a stronger higher education network.

Chair of the SATU Presidents??? Forum, President Meng-Ru Shen of NCKU, expressed gratitude to all member universities for their commitment to building a robust higher education network that fosters partnerships and innovation. Chair Prof. Hong-Chen Chen, Secretary-General of the SATU Presidents??? Forum and Executive Vice President of NCKU, stated that since its establishment in 2003, the SATU Presidents??? Forum has become a key academic and research platform comprising 105 member institutions from 10 countries.

The IIT Bombay became a member university during 2013-14 Steering Committee. Since than IIT Bombay sustain their cooperation in forum and the involvement in various activities. This year's General Assembly, Prof. Shireesh Balwant Kedare, Director of IIT Bombay, India, was elected as the new SATU Chair by the Steering Committee Members. The SATU forum will continue to strengthen its global presence and foster new collaborations and partnerships among member universities in leadership of IIT Bombay.

The MoU was formally exchanged on December 19, 2024, by Prof. Shireesh B. Kedare, Director of IIT Bombay, and Prof. Teiji Tominaga, President of Tohoku University, in the presence of Dr. Sharad Kumar Saraf, Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIT Bombay, along with distinguished representatives from TU Japan. As part of this collaborative initiative, the Dual-Doctoral Degree Ph.D. Program (DDDP)/Cotutelle was launched for the academic year 2025???26, with the MoU signing for this specific program held on April 15, 2025, hosted by Tohoku University. The program aims to facilitate joint Master's and Ph.D. research, offering students dual supervision, access to cutting-edge research facilities, and immersive academic experiences across both institutions.

During Week 1, we welcomed 30 students, while Week 2 saw an increase in participation with 51 students, bringing the total to over 81 participants. Across these two weeks, eleven courses were offered covering diverse topics such as continuous process intensification, financial derivatives, mechatronics, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, sustainability, energy data analytics, network security, and climate intelligence. Participants represented a truly diverse international cohort, joining us from over 16 countries???including Bangladesh, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States???and from more than 24 universities. Esteemed institutions included KU Leuven, Technical University of Denmark, ESCP Business School, Politecnico di Milano, Kyoto University, Tohoku University, The University of Tokyo, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Birmingham City University, Dhofar University, Financial University, Universidade de Vigo, among many others from around the world.

IIT Bombay had the pleasure of hosting Mr. Koji Yagi, Consul General of Japan in Mumbai, and Ms. Megumi Hamuro, Consul (Cultural Section), on July 23, 2025. The delegation engaged with faculty and leadership across several strategic initiatives, including the IITB Research Park, Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), Japanese-connected start-ups incubated under SINE, Semiconductor Research Group, Technology Innovation Hub, and Disaster Management Team.